Psalm 34 is a joyful psalm and has much to teach us about responding to trouble. God has just delivered David from certain death at the hands of angry Philistines who were baying for his blood. We can sense David’s joy. In vrs 1-3 he invites us to rejoice with him. I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. He invites his readers to join in his chorus of praise. In vrs 4 he says he delivered me from all my fears, vrs 6, he saved me out of all my troubles.
- READ PSALM 34; 1 SAMUEL 21
- BACKGROUND TO PSALM
David had fled from Saul’s insane jealousy. He panicked and thought to himself; “there is nowhere in Israel where I will be safe from Saul. I will seek political asylum in the Philistine city of Gath.” It was not his smartest move. What was Gath most famous for? It was the home of the Philistine champion, Goliath whose head David had severed. Now David arrives in Gath swinging Goliath’s sword in his hand and asking them for a favour!! The king’s political advisers said (1 Samuel 21:10, 11); “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’”? If David though he was in the frying pan staying in Saul’s palace he was now very much in the fire.
In this psalm David encourages us to look in three directions.
a. LOOK UP!!
First of all in vrs 4-6 David tells afflicted people to look up!! We certainly do not expect the Philistines to roll out the red carpet. What do we think would happen next? David’s head on a pike staff in double quick time. There is only one thing you can do when you are in such a perilous situation, and that is to pray. “I sought the Lord. I looked to God. I called out to YHWH.” In 1 Samuel 21 we read that David pretended to be insane and scratched the doors of the gate with his fingers and saliva run down his bead. His little Oscar winning performance worked and he was kicked out the city. But he was alive!! As David writes this psalm in a cave at a place called Adullam he reflects on what had just taken place. He sees all too clearly what his root problem was. Did you pick up the little word that crops up again and again in the early part of this psalm? It is the word fear. It appears the first time in vrs 4. I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. We see it again in vrs 7; the angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. We see it twice again in vrs 9; fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. We see it again in vrs 11; come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. David realises that at the root of his problem was too much fear of man and too little fear of God. Where had this led him? Into a tropical cyclone of epic proportions.
b. LOOK WITHIN!!
Secondly, David encourages afflicted people to look within. What has he learned from this episode in his life? He looks within and acknowledges that he had ended up in serious trouble because of his own sinful choices. We see this in vrs 11-14 of our text. “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.” David looks within and sees that it was in these areas that he had failed. He had not feared God enough. In 1 Samuel 21 David fled Saul and came to Nob. Ahimelech the priest came out and was trembling with fear. Everyone knew that Saul hated David and that if anyone helped David they would pay. David could see Ahimelech’s fear. What would an honest man have done? Told Ahimelech the truth and leave the priest to make an informed decision. In 1 Samuel 21:2-6 David deceives the priest into thinking he was on a top secret mission for the king. One lie will inevitably lead to another. It did for David in vrs 8. David’s deceit would end up costing the lives of Ahimelech and 84 others. As David reflects on his experience in Gath he realises that he was guilty of not trusting God and giving false testimony. There are times when we fall into trouble because of our own sinful choices. In this psalm David teaches us to look within. Do some soul searching. Why did you end up in trouble? Determine to learn from your mistake. Allow the fear of the Lord to direct your steps in the future.
c. LOOK TO CHRIST!!
Lastly, we can read vrs 15-18 and find comfort but it is easy to also be misguided. Look at vrs 17; the righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. While most encouraging we can so easily get the wrong impression. We can read this verse and assume that deliverance is always immediate and that the turbulent waters will calm instantly. Have any of God’s servants been exempt from suffering? Was Job, Abraham, Moses, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, Stephen or Paul?? I don’t think this psalm is promising deliverance from troubles as much as deliverance through troubles. How can I say this? Look at vrs 19, 20. Do they ring any bells for you? They should? This is a messianic prophecy. It is quoted in John 19:36. The scene is Calvary. The Sabbath was quickly approaching and so the Roman soldiers took this giant sledgehammer and went to the thieves on either side of Jesus and broke their legs so that they could no longer push themselves up to catch a breath thereby hastening death. When they came to Jesus they saw that he was already dead. There was no need to break his legs. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” None of Jesus’ bones were broken but he did get crucified!! He died a painful, hideous death. God didn’t save him from that. At the cross Jesus Christ is the man of troubles. Jesus Christ is the man crying for help. Jesus Christ is the man crushed in spirit. He is the broken-hearted man. Jesus Christ prayed for exemption from suffering but that prayer was not answered. But – God’s protection of Jesus extended past the grave. He was raised from the dead on the third day without a bone having been broken. John 19 determines how we interpret Psalm 34. It is not deliverance from trouble that is being promised as much as deliverance through trouble. God may not protect us from ever bad thing that might happen to us but Christ’s resurrection is the guarantee of ours. I can walk through death and come out the other side fully healed, restored, saved and protected. God does not protect us from things that harm us; he protects us as we go through them, to the other side of the resurrection, where our real hope and happiness lie.